Cambridge University Press 78-1-107-61193-1 Academic Writing Skills Student's Book

Taking a position
2
Part

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Cambridge University Press
978-1-107-61193-1 — Academic Writing Skills 3 Student's Book
Peter Chin , Samuel Reid , Sean Wray , Yoko Yamazaki 
Excerpt
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Other types of essay prompts do not ask for agreement or disagreement. For 
example:
When did the process of globalization start?
The topic again is globalization. Possible positions on the topic could be:
• It truly began with the advent of information technology.
• It is not a recent phenomenon but has a long history spanning millennia. 
• It is impossible to determine when exactly it began, but it has certainly 
intensified over the last few decades. 
• During the European era of exploration and conquest during the sixteenth 
and seventeenth centuries is when the world truly started to become 
globalized.
The following essay prompt is even more open:
Defi ne globalization. 
This kind of prompt asks the writer to use a particular approach in responding 
to the prompt. The approach taken is the writer’s position. Different positions 
to the above essay prompt could be:
• Globalization is a set of processes that have made the world seem smaller.
• Globalization has increased the economic, cultural, and political links 
among countries. 
• Globalization is a process that has increased the importance of a global 
shared culture and at the same time the importance of local cultures. 
• Cultural, economic, and political connections have increased to such an 
extent that borders and differences among countries, cultures, and people 
have no meaning. 
To summarize, for most essay prompts there is a variety of positions. The 
writer is free to choose any position as long as it:
• responds directly to the essay prompt.
• can be supported well, normally with research. 

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Cambridge University Press
978-1-107-61193-1 — Academic Writing Skills 3 Student's Book
Peter Chin , Samuel Reid , Sean Wray , Yoko Yamazaki 
Excerpt
More Information
www.cambridge.org
© in this web service Cambridge University Press
9